Brooklyn’s best-kept secret may just be a group of master cobblers
tucked away under the el on McDonald Avenue.

The legendary Der Dau Custom-made Boots and Shoes, was founded
in Brooklyn 50 years ago by Cuban immigrant Jose Der, who named
the company after his father’s name, Der, and his mother’s maiden
name, Dau. Today, the shop is operated by his son, Joseph Der.

Highlights of the Der Dau history include catering to celebrity
clients such as Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Charles Bronson
and Tony Curtis, not to mention the Prospect Park mounted police.

Joseph Der, the 28-year-old president of Der Dau, spoke to The
Brooklyn Papers this week about what goes into making a quality
shoe and why the Gravesend business continues to grow - without
advertising - just through word of mouth.

"Once you’ve tried custom-made shoes, you never go back,"
Der explained of his company’s shoes and boots, which are made
with the knowledge and skill accumulated by three generations.

The big orders during a tour of the Der Dau workshop on July
13, were clearly black equestrian riding boots. From March through
August the shop is inundated for orders to make and repair equestrian
and polo boots, explained Der, gesturing to the heaps of boots
sent to the workshop. Boots needing repair come out of the boxes
with the fragrant remnants of their owner’s walk through the
stables still clinging to the soles.

Tom Struzzieri has been a client of Der Dau for 10 years.

"The horse business is such a niche business and they always
have the best quality," Struzzieri told The Papers via phone
from a Catskills horse show. "The alternative is to get
something mass produced, but the kind of clients Der Dau has
at the horse shows are discerning and know the difference.

"I wear the paddock boot, and that’s a low-cut boot for
exercising horses, but it’s such a lovely boot, you’d wear them
when taking your wife to dinner as well."

Der Dau also offers a large line of men’s dress shoes, western
boots and ankle boots in an array of colors and leathers. Der
Dau clients can choose from French calf, ostrich, alligator,
sharkskin, iguana, cowhide and more.

Der says that French calf leather is one of the best leathers
to choose when investing in a first pair of custom-made shoes.

"It’s durable - to be worn every day," explained Der.
"After 18 years, customers will come in with their French
calf shoes because they finally need to be resoled." Der
also showed The Papers a shiny rolled up alligator hide that
was flown in from France. He says that ostrich is also popular
among his customers because it’s comfortable, but he acknowledges
that it’s surface, dotted with bumps, may not be as visually
appealing as the alligator hide.

Der Dau’s pricing for a pair of shoes is
dependent on what variables the customer chooses - the style,
leather and orthopedic options, but average at about $500.

Der says he’ll unveil his "Platinum Hip-Hop" design,
a haute couture boot, in the fall. This exotic boot of imported
French calfskin and alligator with platinum plates in the laces,
will average $5,000. These shoes were designed for hip-hop celebrities
looking for the most comfortable fashion boots, explained Der.

Der Dau’s storefront is cluttered with a giant horse mannequin
in the window alongside a rotating case of polished men’s dress
shoes. Once inside the small shop, customers can eyeball the
astonishing array of colors, styles and leathers in men’s shoes
and men and women’s boots. All of this is nestled among celebrity
photographs and animal hides - including a zebra skin.

A tall chair, a throne really, sits on a high block. This is
the customer’s seat, where they will remove their shoes and have
six measurements taken to ensure the perfect fit for their boots
or shoes. The measurements are taken once, then a pattern and
molding are made. Those are kept on file, and from then on the
customer can place a call for future orders.

Irene Lu, a Manhattan resident, just bought her first pair of
custom-made boots from Der Dau.

"I got measured at the National Horse Show at Madison Square
Garden.

"There are three companies that do boots for riding: Vogel,
Der Dau and Dehner. But Der Dau is a smaller business, and they’re
so sweet. They steer you in the right direction, which is important
because there are so many ways to customize boots.
"My field boots broke in easily and they look great - everything
you could hope for in a custom boot."

Another member of the staff in the showroom is a giant black
dog, named Midnight. The well-mannered pooch also helps to clean
the workshop by snatching up fallen scraps of leather and gnawing
on them, said Der.

Der, a resident of Gravesend, says that Der Dau is not all about
catering to Wall Street executives, though. Part of his business
is correcting what Mother Nature got wrong. He described a young
man who recently came in - with two different size feet. His
parents had to buy him two pairs of shoes every time, one a 10
and the other a 13. Now he has purchased just one pair, custom-fit
and probably more important to the young man, explained Der,
the shoes have been constructed so as to appear to be the same
size from the outside.

According to Der, the shoemakers also take into consideration
the client’s height and weight. A heavier customer may require
additional padding in the shoes - double soles. A shorter man
may require some added height from his shoe.

As for what makes a good shoe, or a quality shoe, Der could go
on forever.

"It really depends on the person," he says. "With
a big foot, a toe cap will make the shoe look smaller. For a
heavier person, a double sole is necessary to absorb the impact.
A shoe with good arch support, and laces for ankle support. And
of course, the leather.

"Do you need this shoe to go to parties, to dance, to hike,
ride horses or just to sit behind a desk?" asks Der. All
of these answers go into customizing the shoe for the client.

Since Der Dau shoes last for at least a decade, the company generally
shies away from ladies’ pumps and very trendy shoes.

The workshop, primarily staffed with craftsmen from the Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico and El Salvador, is a flurry of activity.
The circular assembly line of men works remarkably quietly. Most
of the work is done by hand. Each man is an expert at his task.
Each cobbler has his own duty - and it’s clear from the look
of concentration on their faces that each considers himself to
be a master at his duty, whether it be creating the patterns,
cutting the leather, trimming the soles, stitching the shoes
or molding them.

Der says that many of the craftsmen are descended from craftsmen
who have worked for his father.

"This is nothing you can go to school for," says Der.
"It’s hands-on training for many years and it’s not easy.
Each man has his own tools. They don’t share. They get used to
working with them, and they own them."

Though he’s the president, Der doesn’t have to shoulder the burden
of company management alone.

"My dad is still active in the business. He’s well known
in the equestrian world."

Der, who was practically born into the business, helping out
after school in the shop, says he hasn’t yet tired of the shoe
biz.

"It was my playground after school. I used to sweep the
floor and empty the garbage," he says. Now he handles the
clients.

"I like to play around with shoe shapes. I work with the
fashion clients to develop their pattern," says Der, explaining
that often the clients will rip pages out of magazines and bring
them in, with ideas for alterations. "Those are the clients
I love, that give me a challenge.

"I’ve always liked working with leather. A lot of people
have problems, and they’re amazed at how well a custom-made shoe
fits. When the client is happy, it makes me happy."

Der Dau Custom-made Boots and Shoes
is located at 1885 McDonald Ave. at Avenue P. For store hours
call (800) 337-3286. For more information, visit their Web site,
www.derdau.com.

Your letter must be signed and include all of the information requested above. (Only your name and neighborhood are published with the letter.) Letters should be as brief as possible; while they may discuss any topic of interest to our readers, priority will be given to letters that relate to stories covered by The Brooklyn Paper.

Letters will be edited at the sole discretion of the editor, may be published in whole or part in any media, and upon publication become the property of The Brooklyn Paper. The earlier in the week you send your letter, the better.